Why did they carve such enormous statues? How did they move them and raise them up onto platforms? Why, after centuries, did they topple these idols? Such questions have been answered again and again, but the answers keep changing.
Estimates of when people first reached the island are as varied, ranging from the first to the sixth century A. And how they ever found the place, whether by design or accident, is yet another unresolved question. Some argue that the navigators of the first millennium could never have plotted a course over such immense distances without modern precision instruments.
One archaeoastronomer suggests that a new supernova in the ancient skies may have pointed the way. But did the voyagers know the island was even there?
For that, science has no answer. The islanders, however, do. Benedicto Tuki was a tall year-old master wood-carver and keeper of ancient knowledge when I met him. Tuki has since died. His piercing eyes were set in a deeply creased, mahogany face. There, he could recount the story in the right way. Platforms are called ahu, and the statues that sit on them, moai pronounced mo-eye.
As our jeep negotiated a rutted dirt road, the seven moai loomed into view. Their faces were paternal, all-knowing and human—forbiddingly human. These seven, Tuki said, were not watching over the land like those statues with their backs to the sea. These stared out beyond the island, across the ocean to the west, remembering where they came from. These moai represent the original ancestor from the Marquesas and the kings of other Polynesian islands.
Tuki himself gazed into the distance as he chanted their names. His tattooist and priest, Hau Maka, had flown across the ocean in a dream and seen Rapa Nui and its location, which he described in detail. After a voyage of two months, they sailed into Anakena Bay, which was just as the tattooist had described it. He tells me this as we climb up the cone of a volcano called Rano Raraku to the quarry where the great moai were once carved. The steep path winds through an astonishing landscape of moai, standing tilted and without order, many buried up to their necks, some fallen facedown on the slope, apparently abandoned here before they were ever moved.
Pakarati is dwarfed by a stone head as he stops to lean against it. You may opt-out by clicking here. More From Forbes. Jul 23, , am EDT. Jul 15, , am EDT. Jul 8, , am EDT. Jul 1, , am EDT. Jul 20, , am EDT. Jul 19, , am EDT. Jul 18, , am EDT. Jul 17, , am EDT. Jul 16, , am EDT. Edit Story. Jul 26, , am EDT. Hanga Roa is the only town on the island and you will find that public transport is non-existent here.
The best option for getting around is to hire a car, and you can arrange this with most hotels or guesthouse owners.
I strongly recommend this as opposed to a tour bus; after all, this is one of the most remote islands in the world. I find that sense of remoteness central to the Easter Island travel experience. I chose to drive anticlockwise, heading east along the southern coast road. You can easily circumnavigate the whole island in a day. You can view my Easter Island map here. As you approach the site from the road you will begin to see the giant heads dotted along the hillside.
Look closer and you will find examples of Moai at each stage of development; much like a manufacturing line. There are statues only partially carved out of the slopes of this volcanic crater, and others fully complete ready for transport to their final destinations. All but 53 of the Moai statues were carved from this tuff compressed volcanic ash. The mind boggles that humans from a stone-age civilization could carve such massive statues from rock and transport them around the island, one thousand years ago.
A stunning archaeological discovery was made in May , where archaeologists excavated around the statues to discover the Easter Island heads have bodies! You can climb to the top of the crater from where you will get an almost degree panorama of the island.
A short drive away and you will arrive at Ahu Tongariki , which is the most photogenic of the statue sites. It is believe that it was the Rapa Nui people, Polynesians who sailed here from other pacific islands that put the Easter Island statues there.
Although other theories suggest that they could have arrived from South America. The colonization of Easter Island began around AD, although dates differ from archaeological evidence versus radio carbon dating. The Moai statues face away from the sea and towards the villages, by way of watching over the people. So here at Ahu Tongariki these Moai look over a flat village site.
They were made from a quarried red volcanic stone. These are actually later additions to the statues, possibly as late as the 16 th century. The reason for these hat-like additions is not known but some theories suggest it gave the statue an expression of power. These have been re-erected here at Ahu Tongariki.
And later in the twentieth century a tsunami hit the coastline and swept them inland. Continuing our circumnavigation of the island, takes us west along the north shoreline to Anakena beach. This white-sand beach flanked with swaying palm trees is one of my favourite beaches in the world; Rugged, remote and restful. The focus of your attention as you walk down to the beach is Ahu Nau Nau , a group of 7 Moai silhouetted in front of the calm turquoise waters of this secluded bay.
Venturing towards the west coast now, we arrive at Ahu Akivi , which is unique because these Moai are the only ones to all face towards the sea, although it does overlook a village site too.
A theory suggests these Moai looking out to sea are to help travelers find the island. Just close to here is Ana TePahu , which once was a cave-dwelling. Access has now been restricted because of the risk of collapse, so I was fortunate to visit it before the restriction. This cave is actually a lava channel, formed from the volcanic eruptions that led to the creation of Easter Island. This lava tube runs the length of 7km.
You may have noticed that most Moai statues have just plain faces. But interestingly a discovery was made from broken fragments of coral found at many of the Moai sites.
Archaeologists reassembled these fragments to form these white coral eyes with black or red coloured pupils. These fit into the eye sockets designed for this purpose. The answer is no one really knows. There are various theories that revolve around the use of wooden rollers or sledges and ropes to pull the statues along.
Finally, no visit to Easter Island would be complete without visiting the volcanic crater at Rano Kau. The Orongo Ceremonial Village, sits on the slopes of this extinct volcano crater. The annual Birdman competition Tangata Manu was held here. Competitors had to climb down the cliffs and swim out to the small island at Motu Nui.
They would have to collect a fresh egg from the manutara bird and then swim back and climb the cliffs to the village. The winner of the competition was the first person to return with an intact egg. This winner would then become the King for the year. Here we have a remote civilization that overexploited their natural resources to destruction, as one theory suggests.
However, another theory suggests that the arrival of the European settlers introduced disease and slavery, bringing about their downfall. Professor Stephen Hawking said this about the downfall of civilizations:. For more about Chile, read Why Chile is the perfect adventure travel destination. Looking to book your next trip? Why not use these resources that are tried and tested by yours truly.
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